The anchor weekend of Good Friday 18 - Easter Saturday 19 April sees the festival take over seafront Hove Lawns with the huge free entry Sussex & The World Market featuring around 100 stalls, the Live Food Show and the Children's Food Festival. New additions for 2014 include the Mixology Rum Shack with DJ and cocktail masterclasses, and tutored tastings presented by Discover the Origin of European protected designation of origin wines and produce from Italy, France and Portugal.

"This year will be our biggest ever Spring Harvest festival", said festival director Nick Mosley. "We've pulled out all the stops for a fantastic two days of free food and drink events. I'm particularly excited that we've the head chefs of 64 Degrees, Amberley Castle and Ockenden Manor cooking on the Live Food Show, plus TV wine expert Olly Smith will be hosting a mass wine tasting on Easter Saturday."

In addition to the anchor weekend, there are lots of affordable tastings and dinners across the week including The Three Chefs supper at Drakes, Brighton Food Trail, A Taste of Western Australia wine tasting at Hotel du Vin, Make Your Case, the popular Big Sussex Market on New Road, Churchill Square Live Food Kitchen, A Taste of the Orient at Yum Yum Ninja, the Rockinghorse Children's Easter Egg Hunt in Royal Pavilion Gardens and Ginger Beer at the Ginger Pig.

"The festival team continually look to improve the offering of our twice yearly festival periods, adding new events such as the Big Food Pub Quiz on Brighton Pier and our exciting programme of Sussex Wine Bus Tours taking guests on exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of award-winning local vineyards. Its an exciting time for food and drink in Sussex, and the festival organisation is dedicated to shouting that message out not only locally but also to the world".

The festival is currently championing Brighton's hospitality sector through its International Chef Exchange which sees top chefs from the city partner with chefs in Europe and further afield to create exciting dinners that showcase both their culinary skills and local produce. Exchanges have taken place in Maastricht, Lyon, Rotterdam and The Hague, with further exchanges in the pipeline to Miami, Dubai and Dubrovnik. The exchanges are forming the basis for a new six part television show that will premiere in the early summer on Latest TV in Brighton and a further eleven of the new regional terrestrial television channels launching this year.

For more information and tickets visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com.

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EDITORS NOTES

Now entering its 13th year, the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival is a twice yearly celebration of great local produce. The festival also supports the local food and hospitality industry year-round through the annual Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Awards, farmers markets, one-off events, the Sussex Gourmet Bus Tours, International Chef Exchange, and the Brighton Restaurant Association. The festival promoted over 350 businesses and organisations in 2012, and attracted well in excess of 160,000 to the wide range of events and activities hosted in April and September. In line with the festival's social objectives, all of the anchor events are free entry to allow everyone to enjoy good, local food and drink. The festival is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company.

For more information about events and activities, please visit the festival website at www.brightonfoodfestival.com.